Visible-card file cabinet



Nov. 19, 1929. i.. LOMBARDINI VISIBLE CARD FILE CABINET Filed Nov. 26, 1927 #ll/ll IIllllllllllll mum d alben,

Patented Nov. 19, 1929 LUIGI LOMBARDINI, F TURIN, ITALY VISIBLE-CARD FILE CABINET Application filed November 96, 1927, Serial No. 235,958, and in Italy April 30, 1927.

My invention relates to visible card file cabinets, and has for its object to provide locking or engaging devices for the drawers thereof, and means to facilitate their sliding through the cells of the cabinet. i

Visible card file cabinets according to my invention are of the general type in which each drawer is hinged at its inner end to a follower or latch member adapted to normally prevent the drawer from being entirely withdrawn from the cabinet, and to support the drawer depending at the front of the latter if desired, while the latch member is still engaged in the corresponding pocket or chamber in the cabinet.

One object of my invention is to provide a file cabinet having drawers which will slide as easily as possible and with as little friction as possible.

Another object of my invention is to provide locking and stopping means for each drawer normally preventing withdrawal thereof beyond a certain point, which will be very sure in operation and adapted easily to be rendered inoperative when it is desired to completely remove a drawer from the cabinet.

According to my invention, I provide the side walls of each pocket or chamber for a drawer in the file cabinet with a pair of bear'- ing rollers, and I provide each drawer with outwardly projecting side edges which will slide upon said rollers. Further I provide another pair of rollers rotatable on the hinge pivot connecting each drawer body to its follower, and I provide the usual partition plates between each pair of adjacent pockets and underneath the lowermost pocket, the said last named rollers being adapted to travel upon said partition plate, or upon the bottom of the lowermost cell in the cabinet. Further I provide each of the said side walls, near the front of the cabinet, with a stop or abutment, and I provide the follower of each drawer with a locking device having parts projecting therefrom and adapted to normally abut against said stops, so as to normally prevent the drawer from being completely pulled out of its pocket while I make the said 50 follower adapted to so be operated that the said locking device will be disengaged from the said stops in order to allow the drawer of being removed from the cabinet.

As appears from the foregoing, and as will be more apparent from the following speciication and the. drawings attached thereto, according to my invention each drawer is 'slidably supported by two `pairs of rollers (preferably provided with ball-or rollerbearings) so that any friction will substantially be avoided. Other advantages will appear from the following detailed specification.

In the annexed drawing, I have shown by way of example some embodiments of my invention.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of file cabinet, showing a drawer pulled out to its operative position.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view ofthe follower or latch member of a drawer, a. portion of the latter depending downwardly therefrom.

Fig. 3 is a part vertical sectional view of a cabinet, showing a drawer therein. Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are similar views showing the drawer in diHerent positions.

Fig. 7 is a part vertical cross sectional view taken on L-L, Fig. 3.

Fig. 8 is a part vertical cross sectional view 80 taken on Me-M, Fig. 3. Fig. 9 is a cross section taken on P-P,

Fig. 4.

Fig. 10 is a similar cross section of an alternative construction. The same references denote like parts throughout the figures.

1 is the drawer as a whole, providedwith outwardly bent side edges 14, 2 are horizontal partition plates and 3 the side walls of the 90 cabinet, which will thereby be divided into adjacent or superposed pockets or chambers, each of which will enclose a drawer. 4 denotes the follower as a whole hinged by a cross pivot to the body 1 of the drawer and carrying 95 an oscillating plate 6 having tongues or fingers 5 integral therewith for its operation. The plate 6 has fixed at the rear edge thereof a cross bar the ends 7 of which project through apertures 8 in the sides of the 100 follower 4. Rollers 9 arerotatably mounted on the hinge pivot between the drawer body 1 and the follower 4.

Side edges 14 are substantially provided also in the follower 4.

A freely rotatable roller 10 is provided near the front of the cabinet and supported to each side wall of the pocket thereof, while an inwardly projecting stop or abutment 11 is fixed adjacent said roller, as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

The projecting side edges 14 of the drawer are adapted to slide upon the side rollers 10, while the hinge rollers 9 are adapted to run on the partition wall 2, as shown in Fig. 3, so that the drawer will always be supported on substantially four points.

As shown in Fig. 4, the projecting end p0rvtions of the cross bar 7 normally abut, at the end of the forward stroke of the drawer, against the stops 11, and any further sliding o the drawer will thereby be prevented. By acting upon the fingers or tongues 5, the ends of bar 7 can however be removed from the path of the stops 11, to the position shown in Fig. 5, and the drawer can be pulled out tothe position shown in Fig. 6 and removed from the cabinet.

Of course, by suitable arrangements not shown, the bearing rollers 10 ma act themselves as the stops or abutments or the projecting ends of bar 7.

In the drawing, Figures 1 to 9 relate to file cabinets having drawers with side recesses 12 (see articularly Figs. 7 8 and 9) as lateral guides or the card holders therein. By such drawers the guide 12 is adapted to slide beneath roller 10 and stop 11. Fig. 10 shows a modified construction, which relates to drawers having no side guide for the card holders.

What I claim is:

1. In visible card le cabinets, having slidable drawers and fixed horizontal partition plates, a drawer body, a follower hinged to said body, an oscillating plate carried by said follower, inwardly projecting stops or abutments fixed to the side walls of the cabinet between each pair of said partition plates, and projecting members on said oscillatin plate adapted to normally abut against said stops or abutments. 2. In visible card file cabinets, a drawer body, a follower hinged to said body, an' oscillating plate carried by said follower and provided with movable retaining devices sidewise projecting therefrom, fixed abutments ir the walIs of the cabinet, and means 0n said plate to render said movable retaining devices inoperative at will.

3. In visible card file cabinets, a drawer.

body, a follower hinged thereto, fixed abutments on the side walls of the cabinet and movable retaining members carried by said' follower, the movable retaining members being hinged to the-hinge pivot connectin the drawer body to the follower. L

4. In visible card le cabinets, a drawer body, a hinge pivot at 4the inner edge of said body, a follower hinged thereto, and rollers rotatably mounted on said hinge pivot and adapted to run on the bottom wall of the drawer chamber.

5. In a file cabinet, a casing having stops on its side walls, a drawer slidable in t e casing, a member hinged to the inner end of the drawer, a pivoted stop carried by said member and cooperating with the stops of the casing `to permit the withdrawal of the drawer, and means for swinging said stop to move it out ofthe path of the stop of thel casing.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set m hand.

y LUIGI LOMBARDINI. 

